Quick and Easy Applesauce

        My father has started a tradition of bringing me seasonal fruit from Randall's Farm and Greenhouse. He usually brings a big box of ripe fruit that my husband and I dig right into. Last summer, Dad brought peaches and we chopped them up together and stuck them in the freezer in a couple giant Ziploc Bags. I eventually made Peach Jam with hints of ginger and mint. It was a riff one of Carrol Luna's recipes.

    This time my Dad brought apples. Macintosh apples to be exact. I was eating two to three apples a day when my husband and I started talking about pies or other ways to preserve these lovelies. I thought about homemade applesauce. As a kid I ate applesauce ALL the time as a snack or lunch side. I've never made it myself, save for that Sunday School class in fourth grade. I remember the huge pot steaming and then getting to eat warm applesauce out of a Dixie cup. In my memory it seemed like a big production. But I did some research and came up with this quick and hopefully healthy applesauce! No sugar or canning required.

Quick and Easy Applesauce

    What you'll need EDIBLE:

3-4 pounds of apples

1 1/2 cups Water

1 Lemon (Juice and Peels)

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon Salt

 What you'll need TOOLS:

Knife

Apple Corer

Vegetable Peeler

Large Pot 

Measuring Cup

Potato Masher

Canning Jars or other Containers 

 1~ Wash, Peel and Core the apples. I didn't completely peel each apple. Isn't the skin where all the nutrients are at??

2~ Peel a Lemon so you get at least 2 long strips of lemon peel.

 3~ Add Apples, lemon peel, water, cinnamon and salt to the pot. Add the Juice from about half a lemon.

4~ Boil the apples for about 20-30 minutes or until soft and broken down. I stirred the pot a few times to gives apples on top a chance to simmer on the bottom of the pot!

Bunny Tip - I'm often rushing a project and I was even rushing this sauce! I started the boiling process before all the apples were cored and thrown in the pot. This created a chunkier sauce and we really like it! The apples boil down to sauce quite quickly and you will really notice the change. You should start to see a lovely pink sauce.

5~ Remove the Lemon peels and Apple skin with tongs if desired.

6~Mash!     (My husband helped out on this step!)

7~ Let cool and store.

We were out of canning jars, so we decided to freeze the sauce in small containers that are individual portion sizes.We did freeze one large container for Hanukkah this year!

Ways to enjoy applesauce~

Hot or Cold

All by Itself

with Ice Cream 

as a Snack

with Pork Chops

in Vegan Brownies

with Latkes

Ode to Stamps!

Geek Confession: I love Postage Stamps. When I was in fifth grade I started collecting them. My Dad collects stamps too and started me out with a children's stamp collecting book. He taught me the basics about how to soak them to remove the paper envelope. I love stamps so naturally I strike up conversations about them at Pink Olive. I mainly struck up a conversation about these stamps:

 These are the exact stamps I would've LOVED to have used for my wedding! I thought about using Vintage Postage Stamps but didn't know where to get them (Psst-Etsy). Instead I used many current stamps from the Post Office... and they were beautiful.

  I'm stocking up on the Herb stamps above and will probably use them on my holiday postcards (since there isn't a .29 cent holiday stamp).  Here are a few more current stamps I'm loving!

Anytime Stamp

 
Stamps for Save the Dates or Wedding Invitations:

Stamps for Holiday Cards:

All stamps and Images belong to the USPS https://www.usps.com/

PS. USPS....I could use a Holiday Post Card Stamp..for next year...

Martha Stewart Living: Wax Seals

I saw these wax seals in Martha Stewart Living, November 2011.

They used them in gift wrapping but they would also be great
on Wedding Invites, Holiday Cards, etc.

The seal wax is made to go in a glue gun!!! SO EASY!!!

For more: http://www.marthastewart.com/857299/wax-seals

  Image from Martha Stewart Living, November 2011

Necktie Rabbit Ears

   

 Have you ever been to Books of Wonder on 18th st. between 5th and 6th? Well, it is one of the cutest children's bookstores. I performed there on Saturday as the March Hare in Alice in Wonderland with Haberdasher Theater. I was very excited to work on my costume and put together some inspiration on Pinterest and Tumblr. I was wondering how I would get my hands on some ears UNTIL the director handed me a pair of ties to add to my costume. When I looked at those ties... I saw ears!                     

 Necktie Rabbit Ears

What you'll need-

2 Neckties

1 Headband

Glue Gun and Glue

Strong Wire

Wire Cutter

Scissors

Pen, Chalk or Fabric Marker

Seam Ripper

I bought two matching neckties from a thrift store. I picked very long ties for the extra fabric. I used materials that I had around the house for assembling these, but you could get as high or low tech as you desire. I made these ears quite quickly and took lots of photos!

First decide how long you would like the ears and cut! I cut them a little bit longer than I wanted them in case of error and for attaching. We are using the Front end of the tie for the ears.

With the small back end of a tie I covered my pink H&M headband. Great thing about this tie

was that I could just slip it on!

I hot glued one side of the necktie at the end for a secure fit. 

I left the other side free in case of error.

Next I wired the ears. I measured out a length of wire and trimmed it. I then threaded the wire through each ear. There are two ways to do this and I tried both. The tie lining allowed me to show the wire in the back or to not show it (keeping it hidden within the lining of the tie). I hot glued both into place.

Attaching the ears to the headband was the hardest part. 

With a marker I noted where the wire would attach and proceeded to rip the seams of the tie attached to the headband. I then pulled the ears through and was able able to twist them around the headband to keep them secure. I finished up with some hot glue on the wires and to seal up the headband.

And Ta Da! Here is how they turned out. 

What do you think??

Where you been?

We haven't written in so long... and amazingly...you are still reading Cozy Rustic! We've had more than ten readers this week...and we haven't posted since April. And people are sharing Cozy Rustic! I've found our projects all over the web! On Pinterest and other crafty sites!! Shocker!

Where have we been you ask?

Well... I got married. That took up some of my time...or ALL of it.

Bea has been busy writing and work-shopping breakthrough musicals. She has also started another blog called Giant Dorkgasm. Check it out!

Photo by Gabe Rizzo with Tuesday Night Pictures

I've come back to Cozy Rustic to keep up the crafty posts and share my wedding projects with you. Above is a photo of me walking down the aisle in honor of Wedding Wednesday... and for all of you that just look at the pictures..

Thanks for staying with us!

Love Bunny